Los Angeles daily herald., 1887-05-15
DAILY HERALD.
LYTLECREEK CANYON.
A Romantic Spot Among
the Mountains.
THE TOWN OF RIALTo.
New Homes for Settlers III the
sunny Lands of Semi
lropic California.

appeared in the HERALD, the writer sa"
ons of the most romantic spots in South.
arm California. HI Cajon Pass is the gap
in the mountains north Of San Bernar'
dino. where the California Southern
Railway makes its way through the great
rocky barrier into the desert to the
north. Directly west of the pass and
separated from the same by long spur
of the mountains, the Sierra Madre
range is pierced by cahon, down
which flows q stream, known as Lytle
creek. These waters rise on the north
side of the range and directly under the
shadow Of The San Antonio peak, IA
milisrly known as sold Badly" Near
this spot years ago settled man named
Glenn, q brother of the late DR.. Glenn,
of Colusa, once the Democratic candi-
.iate for Governor of the State, and the
largest wheat grower in the State at the
Mme of his death. The settler on Lyle
creek died some years ago, but his
widow and family dwell there still in
this romantic spot.
The creek rises 10 cienegas or springs
at the very base of the great peak whose
perpetual SHOWS feed the streams with
its living waters all the year round.
From this point by a rugged and tortu-
ous gorge along the mountains the
stream winds its way down to the plains
on the south side Of the San Antonio
peak, The sides of the canon all along
are high, bold and precipitous as the
walls OF house. Thousands of feet in
places rise the great granite crags, with
giant pines growing here and there from
some big fissure in the sides OF the
oafion. The rock is all disintegrating
the whole length of the stream. and in
food time millions of tons of the decom-
posed granite mixed with the decsyed
vegetable matter is washed onto the
lands south of the mountain. The
stream il obstructed at innumerable
points with large boulders around which
the waters OF the stream fret and brawl
On their way to seek their home in a
tar away ocean, (which they never reach.
Lytle Creek Canon has been one of
the best known placer mining regions in
this part Of the country, aud there are
smany deep scars left upon the face of
the mountains, showing where the hardy
miner took out his "dust" to ''rock" it
in his "cradle" at the stream below.
Some of these placer "diggings" are still
worked.
THE WATERS
OF this stream are cool the hottest day
In summer, and soft as the rain from the
skies; they are, in fact, only nell ed
SNOW from the mountain brow. filtered
through some City miles Of clean granite
The bed Of the stream is solid rocL
nearly the entire distance from the
source to the mouth OF the canon. AL
along in the deep holes, or where thI
stream babbles over the rapids. fine trou
lie hidden beneath the stones, or feed il
the swift waters. On the visit in question
several persons were observed angling fol
the speckled beauties It is said the
disciple of Isaac Walton never drops
his line in vain into these voluminous
waters. 1t is no mistake to call the
waters of Lytle creek voluminous
This is the fourth in rank OF all the
streams of South California. The Sants
Ana, Los Angeles and San Gabriel rivers
are the only currents that flow in greater
volume. At several points where the
winding road crosses the stream as i
xushes down the canon the driver may
note that horses and carriage are all a
the same moment in the sire am, the ami
mails up to their knees in water, and the
stream covering all the hubs of tht
~. IaaAsno .
millrace. The banks of the stream are
shaded by many fine sycamore and blacl
alder trees, and all the sides Of tn,
oafion are gay with lupins, American
daisies, buttercups, baby'eyes. and I,
thousand other wild flowers of every
imaginable lovely hue and form.
The waters of this stream are to b.
used below to fructify $4,000 acres o.
beautiful land, the property of the Semi
Tropic Land and Water Company. The
central point of interest at present Oh
this tract is the embryo town
'sRIALTo."
This is situated directly below the
mouth OF this romantic canon on the
new line of railroad. The townste is
composed Of some 500 lots, lying mostly
north of the railroad. From the mouth
of the canon to Riverside is laid out an
avenue, to be known as Riverside ave
uue, which is $50 feet wide and nearly
seven miles long. 1t stretches from the
mountains on the north across two lines
of road to Riverside on the south, where
it forms q connection with the far famed
Magnolia avenue of that town. Or
both sides of this magnificent roaC
come six sections, or nearly 1000 acres
of land are laid out into ten or twenty
acre plats to be put On the market 70
sale. Streets parallel to the great ave
nue. and others crossing it at right angel
are being graded, and the water o
Lytle creek is to be piped at high pres
sure to each and every lot.
The land lies on gentle slope from
the mouth of the canon to the norti
boundary line of Riverside. OF th,
1000 acres there are not forty which
are in the least degree broken. The sol
is easily cleared, in fact it is now ready
for the pillow over nearly the whole sur,
face. The quality of the ground for
fruit culture cannot be excelled. 1t is
a. easily worked as heap of ashes and
sa fertile As a garden bed. The in
gradients are decomposed granite. vege.
table mould and loan.
All sorts of trees and vines will grow
here with the minimum of care, and to
the utmost acme of perfection. Orchard
already on the place fully bear this
statement out.
THE SCENERY
lis unsurpassed. The plateau is ringed
around on all sides by huge mountain
ranges. out of which rise into the skies
like Mont Blanc over the poetic valley
OF Chamouni, the peaks, snow-cappei
and majestic, San Antonio, San Cor
gonio and San Jacinto. Beneath
stretch the fine towns Of Riverside, San
Bernardino and Cotton. To the west
the whole range of the valley almost to
the ocean is in full view.
The hundreds Of homes here prepared
for settlers will in an incredibly short
4 n